Designs/graphics always seem to go as far as far as they can, then retreat back.

[BadSeed84]

It seems that way to me at least.

Pepsi and Coke's logos in early-mid 2000s

They couldn't go any further, so both went with simpler designs that only use a few colors

This is also true in other aspects.

Of course sports

Even video games

Megaman 8

Megaman 9

[hailstateunis]

I think it's just a matter of flat design becoming popular for the first two and retro becoming popular for the last two.

[raysox]

With the branding, early 2000s was about being cool and flashy, but now it's about being sleek and recognizable. Sports uniforms and logos follow the trend too.

[mattb6]

I was thinking shoes:

these gems in the 90s:

to these simpler looking ones:

[JPDesign]

I see your KDV Creamsicles, and raise you a Christmas color way:

[mattb6]

Well I meant in general. All those special edition ones don't count.

[BrandMooreArt]

its the zeitgeist of design. modern design is very simple with a large influence of from mid-20th century. trends and movements in art are often a reaction to what has come before. even in music where hair metal of the 80s dominated radio and tv, what that inspired was a rebellious action against it; thrash and grunge. the "xtreme" design of the late 90s mixed with the web 2.0 glossyness of the the early 2000s has inspired a flatter, simpler aesthetic. and what we're just starting seeing now in web and mobile design is less texture and more transparency and depth, largely driven by Apple OS7. check dribbble.com for reference, its an excellent barometer of current design

[Bayne]

It's all just the evolution of design. I find it fascinating looking at the progession and different styles that are popular decade to decade. Personally, I'm a fan of the new movement of simple and flat, but in some cases it's a touch TOO boring. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new zeitgeist will be a few years from now...as BrandMoore said we're already starting to see it. Heavily influenced by screen devices - it's the way of the future man.

[BrandMooreArt]

Another factor in this is design technology. As computers and Adobe become more easily availible, people freaked out over what was possible with the new tools. Highlights and drop shadows and special effects were easy to do and at the time it was fresh and exciting. Now we're seeing the error of all that and designers are using more hand drawn type and designing with the mantra of "meaning before form"

[Magnus]

Although I realize that it may apply more to the way objects are crafted than the way logos are designed, I have always been a fan of the Bauhaus school.

[BrandMooreArt]

Although I realize that it may apply more to the way objects are crafted than the way logos are designed, I have always been a fan of the Bauhaus school.

same here. that wasn't so much a style as it was a teaching though; a way of thinking about design. i think it just happened that they built an aesthetic from the principles they set. you can find a lot of those lessons online, exercises and such. its a good mental work out

[beruud]

I think a simplier - easier branding style is all the craze. I do enjoy the new styles, I also enjoyed the over the top as well... but I amuch more a tweener... a simple design with a simple flair.

[theonlymember]

its the zeitgeist of design. modern design is very simple with a large influence of from mid-20th century. trends and movements in art are often a reaction to what has come before. even in music where hair metal of the 80s dominated radio and tv, what that inspired was a rebellious action against it; thrash and grunge. the "xtreme" design of the late 90s mixed with the web 2.0 glossyness of the the early 2000s has inspired a flatter, simpler aesthetic. and what we're just starting seeing now in web and mobile design is less texture and more transparency and depth, largely driven by Apple OS7. check dribbble.com for reference, its an excellent barometer of current design

In web and mobile, "flat" and simple design was started before OS7. I know everyone hates Microsoft, but when they released Windows Phone 7, that was really the start of the flat and simple trend in tech.

[Raymie]

There's also a need for legibility.

I've been advising my Catholic high school on its first top-to-bottom rebrand in history. It's coming from a patchwork of institutional logos, some with heritage going back to the early-mid '90s. Neither their coat of arms/roundel logo, or their institutional logo featuring a striped cross in a dated style, work well at the small avatar sizes dictated by Twitter and Facebook. Their athletic logos, particularly their lockup, are suffering from the same problem.

In fact, my advice for them in this entire process has focused on a few pillars: reflecting the rapid changes that have gone on over the last decade at the school, creating an identity that looks up-to-date and can attract students, parents and donors alike, and ensuring that it meets the multifarious needs of the school across the web, print, athletics and signage.

Legibility is crucial these days. And flatter design treatments are part of that.

[BrandMooreArt]

its the zeitgeist of design. modern design is very simple with a large influence of from mid-20th century. trends and movements in art are often a reaction to what has come before. even in music where hair metal of the 80s dominated radio and tv, what that inspired was a rebellious action against it; thrash and grunge. the "xtreme" design of the late 90s mixed with the web 2.0 glossyness of the the early 2000s has inspired a flatter, simpler aesthetic. and what we're just starting seeing now in web and mobile design is less texture and more transparency and depth, largely driven by Apple OS7. check dribbble.com for reference, its an excellent barometer of current design

In web and mobile, "flat" and simple design was started before OS7. I know everyone hates Microsoft, but when they released Windows Phone 7, that was really the start of the flat and simple trend in tech.

absolutely. flat design exploded after that. in the coming year though, watch to see how many long 45degree shadows and bright gradients are used. it's catching on quick

[Saint Zephyr III]

The name of the theory that I've always heard in reference to this is the Rubber Band Theory; basically the further away you get from the original source, the more extreme the return shall be. A visible example of this is to look at any superhero design in the 1990s and how simplified the return to normalcy was for that respective character.

I mean just look at Electric Blue Superman!

[BrandMooreArt]

this from Justin Mezzell's blog which i thought was relevant to this thread

Systematically stripping out gradients, textures, and light sources from user interfaces was a reaction to over-stylized, clunky, and altogether ineffective information architecture that relied more on gimmick than user experience. Its refocus on layout and typography has been refreshing in a number of cases.

you can read the whole thing here: http://justinmezzell.com/blog/2013/7/17/dont-believe-the-hyperbole